GOLF facilities - Northern Portugal

QUINTA DA BARACA GOLF COURSE - 9 holes 2,012 meters par 31

The Quinta da Barca golf course is part a tourist and residential development, including a freshwater marina. It is located on the right bank of the Cavado river, in Barca do Lago, seven kilometres from Esposende. This is a nine hole course whose gentle design nevertheless demands some alert game strategy. It is possible to complete a second round using different 'tees' and thus complete a full 18 holes. It has six Par 3 holes and three Par 4s for a Par 31 over 4,024 metres. Its outstanding features are undulating greens, strategically placed bunkers and three lakes that both render the game more challenging and enhance the natural beauty. The course starts off in a tree covered area until hole number 5, with its fairways cutting through the pine forest. From that point onward, the holes are set in more open landscape, running near the Cavado river. The longest hole is number 3 totalling 339 metres. Other holes also offer impressive sport: notable are hole number 6 (along the river bank), hole number 8 ( a dogleg to the right, protected by a lake, where any stroke overshooting the green will end up in the Cavado River) and hole number 9, which stars with a stroke over the river. This course is featured in an article on the site of travelgolf.com written by their staffwriter, Carla Harvey, which is reproduced below : Built alongside a freshwater marina on the Cavado river, it is a few kilometres from the village of Esposende. Alternate tees allow a further 9 holes for the golfer who insists a game is not a game without the full complement; an additional nine holes are under design at present. Even as it stands, Quinta da Barca is a long course; just over 4,000 metres with three par 4 holes that make it an adequate challenge to keep golfers on their toes. No fewer than three lakes lend beauty and hazard to play. The first four holes are sheltered by pine trees while the others holes are riverside, running back up to the clubhouse. Perhaps the dogleg on 8 is the most demanding on the course: it is protected by a lake and the river; overshoot and the certainty is a watery grave in the Cávado. Very popular with residents, the club house restaurant has an innovative menu and friendly atmosphere."

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AMARANTE GOLF COURSE - 18 holes 6017 meters Par 72

. Located in an extraordinary landscape - with the towns of Amarante and Marco de Canaveses, as well as the mountains of Marão and Aboboreira in the background - the course also includes several waterfalls and forms part of a development situated opposite the road linking Amarante to Marco de Canaveses This course is featured in an article on the site of travelgolf.com written by their staffwriter, Carla Harvey, which is reproduced below: "Portugal becomes richer in colour contrasts as you drive north, the greens seem almost black and the soil is a deep bronze. When I reached Amarante, the air was clear and crisp. Part of Amarante’s attractiveness is its hilly nature; a buggy is a must if you intend to enjoy the game. As Joao Silva, Managing Secretary at Soc. Golfe De Amarante, S.A. says, “To get good scores on this course, you have to be in good shape. Very seldom is the level of the ball and your feet the same.” ‘ Hmm,’ I thought, remembering a well-told tale from the previous day. One of the city’s leading entrepreneurs had slid gracefully down to the lake on Amarante’s Number 3, on his heels all the way but never sacrificing his innate sense of style. After he had promised the family fortune to his accompanying son, he was hoisted out by that canny family member aided by the trusty iron that had joined him on his slalom. Number 3 also offers a dogleg to the left, your drive is blind so Joao counsels leaving the drive short so that your second shot may reach the green. Another formidable hole is 6, with trees on both sides of the fairway. When the architect ran out of trees, he put in a dogleg to the right and 11 bunkers on the way to and embracing the green – a daunting Par 4. Additional to hills, the course is characterized by small, undulating greens; honed-up putting will help as it is rare to find yourself in a position to make a straightforward putt. Weekend / Holidays during the high season might require booking; normally it isn’t necessary. Many amateur championships are played here and Amarante is host to the Portuguese National Championship with prize money increasing by one million Escudos a year."